Chelsea 2 Newcastle 2: Don’t let the door hit you on way out

CHELSEA 2 -- NEWCASTLE 2: TALK about going out with a whimper. A listless lap of honour in front of a barely quarter-full stadium, as the long, slow death of Carlo Ancelotti dragged towards its inevitable conclusion.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is a week away from being removed from his position and he knows it []

This disappointing season of Chelsea’s cannot end too soon. Ancelotti is a week away from being removed from his position – and he knows it. Incredibly, a year after becoming the first Stamford Bridge manager to win the Double, poor old Carlo had to troop round the pitch yesterday, looking close to tears. A condemned man.

Even if they win at Everton next Sunday in their final game, this will still be the lowest points tally achieved by a Chelsea team since Roman Abramovich bought the club eight years ago.

This was a game that summed up their campaign – an early lead thrown away and then regained, only to be squandered by yet more defensive carelessness in the second minute of injury-time.

We’ve conceded in the last minute a lot of times this season, lost a lot of points that way

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti

Most of the fans – and Abramovich – had drifted away by the time Chelsea’s bedraggled troops emerged with the kids for the traditional lap of appreciation – Didier Drogba appearing to wave his own goodbyes.

In fact, the best entertainment of the afternoon came from Branislav Ivanovic’s tiny toddler son, Stefan, dribbling the ball into the net – which was more than £50million Fernando Torres managed.

The body language of the players and manager said it all. Several refused to meet Ancelotti’s eye as they trooped off the pitch at the final whistle. Ancelotti said: “We are disappointed. We’ve conceded in the last minute a lot of times this season, lost a lot of points that way.

“I don’t know what will happen to me. We have to wait just one week. A week is not a long period, so let’s see what happens. Anyone can give an opinion about the job I have done. It is the club who have to take a decision.

“If they think my job was good, I will stay. If they think it was not, I will go. My opinion? Sometimes I did a good job, sometimes I could have done better. I think I will still be here.”

If judging things purely on this game, Ancelotti is a goner. But it was that dreadful mid-season slump that will actually do for him, plus errors and poor performances in the big games. Still, at any normal club, he would get another year. But this is Chelsea.

Abramovich wants Guus Hiddink back, with maybe Marco van Basten as his coach. But that appointment is a long way down the line. Ancelotti’s demise – no matter how popular, how dignified, how likeable he is – is not.

His men got off to a flier though yesterday, as a team which showed six changes from last week’s devastating defeat at Manchester United were ahead after two minutes. Frank Lampard’s corner was flicked on by Torres and Ivanovic senior steered the ball home.

But seven minutes later yet another unnecessary free-kick was given away and Ryan Taylor’s shot took a deflection off Jonas Gutierrez’s back to leave Petr Cech stranded.

Newcastle could have had a second, as Cech fumbled and Ivanovic had to clear off the line. Ancelotti made a Mourinho-esque three substitutions to try to turn things round and it did have an effect, as Drogba’s free-kick missed by an inch.

When Lampard’s ball was then missed by Magpies keeper Tim Krul to allow Alex to head home seven minutes from time, it looked like at least they would close the home campaign with a victory.

Not this season. Ryan Taylor’s corner was nodded back at the far post by Nile Ranger and no one was near Steven Taylor as he headed in.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said: “I thought it was a just result. I was thrilled for our young players. They are so resilient. If I was the owner I would feel more secure about investing in this club now.”

And that is the trouble for Ancelotti. Abramovich actually does invest in Chelsea – he has invested rather a lot actually in the past eight eventful years. So he calls the shots, and what Roman wants, Roman gets. And that, no matter how unjust it may look to the outside world, is a new manager.

Plus, of course, the rebuilding of a team around a player who has scored just one goal in 17 games now for Chelsea and whose confidence is visibly fading by the week...and we are not talking about Stefan Ivanovic.